Marabou stork blinded me and ended my career as a pilot

When Captain Samuel Gitau woke up on January 13, 2014, he was in high spirits and didn’t imagine for one moment that this day would be his turning point. He had worked at the KWS Airwing as a pilot for 10 years and had big dreams. However, a bird shattered his aircraft’s windshield while midair, almost killing him and his colleague. He shared his story with Cate Mukei.

How did your day begin? What exactly transpired?

It was January 13, 2014. On my way to work, my boss called me to inform me that there was an ear notching exercise going on in Nakuru and a fixed wing aircraft was required to help trace the animals. My job entailed tracing the animals before directing the helicopter. I left Nairobi at 11am and arrived in Nakuru at midday.

However, on arrival, it was too hot and subjecting animals to sedation with all that heat was unfair. At around 4pm, a colleague who was leading the team asked me if it was okay to patrol the area and try and locate the animals in order to make the work easier for the next day.

Did you find the animals?

We had flown for almost an hour looking for two rhinos that resided there.  I had circled the area three times, but we couldn’t trace any. I was doing my third round when a bird, a Marabou stork, appeared out of nowhere. They are common around that area because of a dumping site just near the Park. A bird strike in aviation is very hazardous.

But here it was, flying at a very high speed and I was also flying the plane at 200km/ph. I was heading towards it and despite efforts to change direction, the bird (which weighs more than 10kgs) crashed into the plane and shattered the windshield.  The impact was so much that I passed out.

At what point did you wake up?

The next thing I remember was hearing the sound of the engine. I tried to open my eyes but I could not see clearly. I was covered in blood. The bird’s body pieces were scattered everywhere. When I turned to look at my colleague, he was also covered in blood.  He was mumbling something. I checked if things were controllable and took a straight line towards the airstrip.

What was the first thing you did when you landed?

After landing I took the plane to the parking area. I sat there a little bit, switched off the engines. I got out of the plane and the first people I met were tourists who had come to use the ablution facilities. There was a doctor and the first thing he did was to stop my bleeding.

Meanwhile, my colleagues organised I be airlifted to Nairobi. Apart from the bleeding eye and other minor cuts, I didn’t have any major injuries. Luckily, I was not in much pain. I called my family to inform them about the accident.

How was your treatment and how long did it take for you to recover?

I was taken to Mater hospital but I was later referred to Lions Sight First Eye Hospital. I could tell that there was something very wrong since the doctors there kept referring me to different doctors.

What was the problem?

They did not want to tell me that my eye was badly injured. I underwent surgery to restructure my bone structure around the eye. I was discharged but went on with treatment for months. Initially, the doctors were hopeful that the eye could be saved but as time went by there seemed to be no hope. One day, the doctor asked me if I had ever considered any other career other than flying. It got to a point where the doctor said she had done the best they could for me. The doctors wanted me to get an artificial eye for cosmetic purposes but I refused. Many people asked me why I didn’t pursue treatment abroad but I believe that there is nothing that could be achieved there that can’t be achieved here.

Currently, what do you do?

I’m the acting manager for flight operations at KWS Airwing. It was my choice not to fly. I could get a restricted license but I think it would expose me to more hazards.

Do you miss flying and how do you feel about your new job?

I actually like it here. I think it was time for me to do something different. Having flown for almost a decade, I had stopped enjoying flying. The accident changed my life as I got closer to God. I also have more time for family and friends. I have learnt how to adjust and I’m now keener than I was. I have adjusted the side mirrors of my car to enable me to see better. I still have a major problem with parking but I can live with that.